Resources, Facts and Tips on Appliance Services

When the hot and humid Aussie summer returns in late 2017, many Australians will be reaching for their air conditioner remote to cool their homes. However, if your air conditioning unit is easily accessible to birds, you should first ensure that your air conditioner didn't become the nesting site of a family of birds during the spring months.

Not only do bird's nesting materials severely lower the efficiency of air conditioners, leading to higher energy bills in the process, but birds in your HVAC system are hazardous to your health.

Bird Droppings Contain Diseases

Through the spring months of September to November, you may well be serenaded by a family of robins, sparrows or doves each morning. You may even be able to see the nest and watch the chicks grow.

However, when it comes to HVAC systems, the negatives far outweigh the benefits where birds are concerned. During those spring weeks, that family of birds will cover your air conditioner and the surrounding area in poop. Not only is this unsightly, but it leaves you exposed to diseases.

If birds nest and poop next to the fresh intake, the diseases contained in bird poop will be blown into your home. For example, cryptococcosis is a fungal disease which is transmitted via the air to lungs and open wounds. This disease is dangerous to young infants and the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems.

Mites Could Find Their Way Into Your Home

Birds in Australia and other hot countries carry mites. In general, these mites only feed on the blood of birds, however, when birds leave the nest in early or late summer, these mites will invade your home via the air conditioning unit to seek out a blood meal.

Like bedbugs, these mites leave a nasty rash and can infest anything from clothes to bed covers.

Nesting Materials Can Block Air Flow Into Your Home

Even when a nest is no longer inhabited, its nesting materials of dried twigs, grass, feathers and accumulated dust will clog the fresh intake and filter banks, reducing the air flow into your home. Less air means less cooling efficiency, and this means an increase in your energy bill.

Birds May Peck Through the Air Filters

Nesting birds may also peck through the air filters to gain access to your air conditioning unit. This will prevent those filters from filtering the harmful contaminants left by birds and put your family at risk of disease, mites and dust allergens.

If you think that your air conditioner might have been exposed to nesting birds this past spring, seek out a HVAC maintenance provider near you. They can conduct an inspection of your air conditioner and remove any debris in or around it while repairing the damage done by pecking birds.

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About Me

Appliances create the support structure for much of our lives. They wash and dry our clothes, help us put dinner on the table, and make a million other tasks easy and pleasant. However, they also rely on complicated internal elements to do all this work. Hi! My name is Lola, and I firmly believe that if you want to make the most of your appliances, you need to understand how they work. In this blog, I am going to explain the functioning of appliances and provide tips on repairing or improving them. I may also include some shopping tips as well as other posts. Enjoy!